On the study of the hand for indications of local and general disease / by Edward Blake.

  • Blake, Edward T. (Edward Thomas), 1842-1905.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the study of the hand for indications of local and general disease / by Edward Blake. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    31/198 (page 9)
    bottom of the nail-fold, for these are continuous. It is obvious too that the narrower the nail-fold, the more rapid is the' growth of the nail and the less is its thickness. The blood supply of the papillary layer of the substratum of the nail is divided into several areas, each covered with rows of papillse. The vascular supply is very peculiar, re- sembling in some respects an erectile tissue, such for example as that of the corpora cavernosa. The actual sub- stratum consists of loose connective tissue, containing con- voluted glands and some fat. Rate of Nail Growth.—A considerable divergence of opinion exists as to the rate at which the finger-nails grow. Beau gives as a rule that the nails of the hand grow one millimeter per week. At this rate the nails, which average fifteen millimeters in length, would take 105 days to grow out. Dufour gives 121 to 138 days. The fact is, the pace of growth varies very much, not only at different ages but in different individuals of the same age. Influenced by many external and internal con- ditions, the pace also varies in the same person from time to time. I have known a difference of seventy days be- tween subjects of the same age and sex. A few fresh observations will be submitted to the notice of the reader as to the rate of growth of the finger-nails in men at different ages:— At 21 years, the nail was replaced in 126 days. 31 32 55 07 159 88 110 144 It is curious that in this group the swiftest grower was a tubercular subject, who had a sharp attack of blood- spitting;' (lining the observation. Possibly we have here, as